Summit Station Skiway Review

Summit Station, located at the peak of the Greenland ice cap, is a scientific research station maintained by the National Science Foundation. Transportation to and from the station, for the delivery of personnel and materials, is by skied airplanes or by annual traverse. To support aircraft, the station staff uses heavy equipment to maintain a 5120.6 61.0 m (16,800 200 ft) skiway. When the station is open for the summer season, from mid-April through August, the skiway sees regular use. This report defines procedures and identifies equipment to strengthen and smooth the skiway surface. Effective skiway maintenance has the potential to help reduce the overall skiway maintenance time, decrease the number of slides per flight period, increase ACLs, and reduce the need for Jet Assisted Take-Offs (JATO). All are important reductions to preserve the clean air and clean snow science done at the station. We reviewed the available equipment on station and current skiway construction and maintenance procedures. Furthermore, measurements of skiway strength and snow density of the skiway were made. Based on these findings, we provide recommendations for modifying current equipment, future purchases, and establishment of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for future construction and maintenance efforts. The original document contains color images.